Postpartum depression can rear its ugly, no-good, dirty, rotten head anytime, including during pregnancy as discussed at length in the last post. And the earlier it begins, the more reluctant women tend to be about beginning drug treatment. Many women choose to forgo drug treatment altogether in the postpartum period, making it critical to find alternative therapies--though make no mistake, medications can be lifesavers for those suffering severe bouts of depression, anxiety or other conditions. So what to do? It isn't like we can just toss these women aside, unless you're Rush Limbaugh, in which case this is perfectly reasonable. I mean, about as reasonable as Rush fucking goats which I heard was totally his weekend guilty pleasure.

Ahem.

Alright, let us forgo the beastiality for a moment and get back to the issue at hand: how to help the ladies who are uncomfortable with medication management during pregnancy and the postpartum period deal with a depressive episode. Because in addition to the standard advice of talk therapy and increased social support, there are a few other options for decreasing depressive symptoms postpartum.... continue reading

When I suggest research as a treatment for anxiety, sometimes people look at me like I have three heads. I do not believe in my inherent ability to sprout extra heads, based on my extensive research on the subject. Therefore, I assume that the looks are because some individuals are not big fans of looking stuff up once they get out of school.

It isn't just the research itself. Many people do not like the idea of exploring their deepest, darkest fears because they are afraid of what they will find. Many are worried that they will find out their scary thought is true.

I'm not interested in telling you a bunch of stuff you already know, things you've already heard. It's easy to say, "These are the behaviors these conditions encompass, so stop doing that." And unfortunately, people who have no idea what the fuck they're talking about use phrases like this regularly.

But it ISN'T THE FOOD. Eating disorders are not about meals. They're usually about control. And those issues start young, sometimes before you've mastered the use of a knife and fork.

Attachment has become a catch phrase used to describe an evolutionarily relevant parenting style. But this isn't about today's children. This is about the kids today's women used to be. Because early attachment plays a role in bodily dissatisfaction and eating disordered behavior.... continue reading

It starts as soon as we get married, sometimes at the wedding reception.

“When are you guys going to have kids?”

It’s like a cult, this motherhood thing that we are pressured to join at the first possible opportunity. We’re told that we will forget the pain of childbirth, that we won’t even miss our old activities.

LIES! ALL LIES! I’d love to see the day I completely forget squeezing a wriggling, screaming turkey out of my vagina.

But there is a division between this outside pressure and the experience of some women, particularly in the case of bipolar disorder. While we hear, “Come join us,” peppered into even the most mundane conversations, these women often hear, “Danger!” because their physician told them they should avoid pregnancy.

I was going to stay out of it, I really was. There are already so many beautiful and poignant writings about the Stanford rapist at this

juncture, including a moving letter from the victim herself.

But now that Brock Turner’s father has gotten involved, noting that a paltry six month sentence is “a steep price to pay for twenty minutes of action,” I’m too pissed to stay out of it. We all should be.

Daddy went on to shift fault to the university:

“In hindsight, it’s clear that Brock was desperately trying to fit in at Stanford and fell into the culture of alcohol consumption and partying. This culture was modeled by many of the upperclassmen on the swim team and played a role in the events of Jan 17th and 18th 2015.”

Dan, your son was not on trial for drinking, you rape-enabling fuck. He sexually abused an unconscious woman.

Now, it is true that the culture of hyper-masculinity encourages more aggressive behaviors in men and boys. It is true that most rapists have abuse in their own pasts (ahem). It is also true that alcohol clouds judgment.

Transgender identity, as a broad term, is the idea that some people do not conform consistently or unambiguously to the typical (or accepted) notions of “male” or “female”. When we hear the term, it is often used to describe someone like Caitlyn Jenner whose gender identity (sense of themselves as male or female) or gender expression differs from that usually associated with their birth sex. However, not everyone whose appearance or behavior is gender atypical will identify as a transgendered. Tim Curry in The Rocky Horror Picture Show isn’t necessarily transgender just because he loves women’s lingerie. He could just be a proud dude in panties.

But the issue is far beyond dressing a certain way or acting a certain way. The transgendered population is under attack at every turn due to forces they cannot control. I mean, why are we so worried about where people can pee for fuck’s sake?

Gender identity, like sexuality, exists on a spectrum. And as a society, we disregard anyone who doesn’t fit into these little tiny boxes of “normal.” We label them as mentally ill. We try to take away their inherent human rights. And that is a huge part of what triggers depression and anxiety and suicide in misunderstood and persecuted populations.